Optical interconnect in high-speed memory systems

摘要

A optical link for achieving electrical isolation between a controller and a memory device is disclosed. The optical link increases the noise immunity of electrical interconnections, and allows the memory device to be placed a greater distance from the processor than is conventional without power-consuming I/O buffers.

主权项

1. A memory system comprising:
a memory device; an access device for accessing the memory device; an optical link between the access device and the memory device; a plurality of bidirectional optical channels on the optical link for sending data between the access device and the memory device, each of the bidirectional optical channels having an associated communication wavelength; a plurality of unidirectional optical channels on the optical link for sending commands and addresses from the access device to the memory device, each of the unidirectional channels having an associated communication wavelength; a first plurality of electrical/optical transducers coupled to the access device for converting electrical data signals from the access device to optical signals on at least one of the plurality of bidirectional optical channels and for converting optical signals from at least one of the plurality of bidirectional optical channels to electrical data signals which are provided to the access device; a second plurality of electrical/optical transducers coupled to the access device for converting electrical command and address signals from the access device to optical signals on at least one of the plurality of unidirectional optical channels; and a wave division optical multiplexer/demultiplexer coupled between the first and second pluralities of electrical/optical transducers and the optical link for multiplexing optical channels which are transmitted to the optical link and for demultiplexing optical channels received from the optical link, wherein the memory device, the access device, and the optical link are all integrated onto the same die.